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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Visual Art SAM to Artists: Thank You for the Xmas Gift, Please Take It Away

Posted by Jen Graves on Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 10:34 AM

After Todd Jannausch, organizer of Gallery 206, left a package of art on Seattle Art Museum's doorstep on Christmas Eve, the museum let it stand—but now it needs to go.

Dear Todd:

On behalf of the Seattle Art Museum we truly appreciate your gift of Gallery (206) and your kind words about SAM. Our visitors and staff very much enjoyed seeing the piece in front of the museum during this holiday season.

Seattle has one of the most vibrant art scenes in the country and we greatly value the creative energy and support of our artist community. At this time, we are not able to bring Gallery (206) into our collection but if you decide to auction the work off to benefit SAM, we would be delighted and use the proceeds for our modern and contemporary art program.

If it is possible to collect the piece from the plaza this week, that would be ideal. Again, thank you for this incredibly kind gesture, and we wish you a very happy new year!

With best regards,

Chiyo Ishikawa, Deputy Director for Art and Curator of European Painting and Sculpture

Catharina Manchanda, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

It's a classy response—especially the part about using the funds for specific support for living artists.

The gesture of artists leaving artworks on the doorsteps of museums is nothing new. A bunch of upstarts in Tacoma left a baby buggy "installation" on Tacoma Art Museum's doorstep a few year ago; just this week, a Polish art student hung his own painting in the National Museum.

At least one Seattle artist told me he was not contacted before Jannausch decided to leave Gallery 206 at SAM; he was not thrilled to be part of an act of protest against an institution he doesn't have beef with.

In general, museums are always accused of not representing artists, especially local artists, well enough. And in many ways the charge is founded, given that art institutions are built on the backs of artists but don't always provide them with actual support. But SAM is far from an imperious palace, and local artists are not of one mind on this issue.

Jannausch writes: "I will be removing the installation soon but would like to thank the Seattle Art Museum for allowing Gallery (206) to remain outside the SAM for the holidays. It was a wonderful show of support for all of the work that Seattle artists do to enhance our city."

May at least a little money be raised, donated, recirculated. Now who wants to buy this phone booth of art?

Comments (12) RSS

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Classy, indeed.

Posted by Free Lunch on January 5, 2012 at 10:41 AM

If anything, SAM has far too much contemporary crap by local artists. That's not really what SAM should be about, in my opinion. I know that 99% of the contempo stuff they bring in makes my blood boil, like the thing that looks like an incorrectly-assembled IKEA desk with the string and Scotch tape everywhere and the ream of paper sitting on it. Or the one with the string coming out of holes in a canvas that isn't aligned properly (what is it with string?) These "installations" look inept to me -- conceptual art bereft of concept. I could go on. I love SAM but that stuff ain't why.

Posted by Fnarf

on January 5, 2012 at 10:45 AM

Was it an act of protest?

Posted by tacomagirl on January 5, 2012 at 10:54 AM

that's interesting; I didn't see this as an act of protest whatsoever, nor do I feel this indicates that people involved with the project have a "beef" with the institution ...it was an offering and I agree with Todd that it was a lovely gesture for SAM to allow the phone booth to sit outside over the holiday season.

that said, I'd think the institution would find value in preserving/holding onto a snapshot of Seattle's art history. this phone booth is a beautiful and broad cross section of work that is going on in Seattle by artists from all corners of the art world, not just the obvious ones. I'm sad that even though SAM might not see how the installation fits into its current collection (not saying I understand how not), they don't see the value in holding onto something [for the future] that documents a moment in time so well.

it's salt in the wound to suggest that they would be happy to take the cash, though. stay classy SAM? :/

Posted by sharonArnold

on January 5, 2012 at 11:19 AM

Truly a win-win. I saw the installation this past weekend and loved it and certainly not view it as any sort of protest.

Posted by I Got Nuthin' on January 5, 2012 at 11:27 AM

I thought it was a gift. SAM protested to have it removed. Todd will do so in a classy, timely manner. SAM will be happy to take the $$ of course. Yep. Classy.

Posted by juanalonso

on January 5, 2012 at 12:04 PM

@2 The rag-and-bone aesthetic is popular for sure, a little too popular. It can be done well or not. It's just too bad that it makes your blood boil instead of making you think. SAM is very chaotic in their presentation of different works. This is sometimes interesting-- except for cramming Teapots smack dab in the middle of a show of young German artists. but I'm thankful that it has a nice balance of great local yokels and major contemporary artists. I think SAM isn't showing the best work from local artists right now. OK work, but not the best.

Posted by Djus on January 5, 2012 at 12:38 PM

@7, I think you're right, but I guess I don't think of that as being SAM's job, really. They are institutional. The thinking vs. blood-boiling problem has little to do with SAM and everything to do with my continually intensifying contempt for American culture. I know there are young American artists doing interesting work that I'm not seeing, but I'm just not interested -- too many other things to look at. I feel like the music producer Joe Boyd, who has said he no longer goes to see WPSEs (white people singing in English).

I'm bleeding out of the ears in anticipation of the Australian Aboriginal art exhibit SAM is bringing in May, though.

Posted by Fnarf

on January 5, 2012 at 12:47 PM

I still miss the ball & chain that was added to the hammering man.

Posted by slugbiker

on January 5, 2012 at 1:08 PM

Accepting it would welcome a deluge of similar uncurated material expecting equal acceptance.

Posted by bedipped on January 5, 2012 at 4:40 PM

I drove by the phone booth an hour ago and there was literally a line to get in. I think artist and museum handled the whole thing in a very human way.

Posted by timmiche on January 5, 2012 at 10:23 PM

@8 that's cool, to each his own. That big green glass triangle at SAM seems silly to me, like it was taken from a klingon set in star trek! I don't care what an institution shows as long as it's interesting work. the heinrichs piece (spelling?) went over my head but it was fun to look at and think about.

some the phonebooth works seemed derivative of barry mgee and margaret kilgallen, though the music on the phone was cool.

Posted by DJus on January 6, 2012 at 12:36 PM